Harness-buckle



(No Model.)

J. M. SMITH.

HARNESS BUCKLE.

No. 379,613. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

N. PETERS, Phommho hur, Walllinglon. 11c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SMITH, OF SPOTTSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA.

HARNESS-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,613, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed December 1, 1887. Serial No. 256,698.

To all 1071 0122, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spottsyl- Vania, in the county of Spottsylvania and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHarness-Buckles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbuckles; and while it is designed more especially as a tracerbuckle forharness, it is applicable to various other uses, and I therefore do notintend to restrict myself to its employment as a harness-buckle.

The object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen this class ofdevices and to render the same more efficient and durable in operation.

To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the sameconsists in the peculiarities of construction and the novel arrangementand adaptation of the parts, all as more fully hereinafter described,shown in the drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,together with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure l is a perspective View of abuckle constructed in accordance with myinvention, a portion of a tracebeing indicated therein in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view of amodified form.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, the rectangular portion A isprovided near the center of its length with a cross-bar, B, which may beintegral therewith,or, ifpreferred, may be madeseparate therefrom andsecured thereto in any suitable \vay. Lugs or ears a are formed eitheron the part A or by the upwardly-projecting end of the cross-bar.Embraced by and pivoted between these lugs or cars is one end of thekeeper 0, the opposite end of which is provided with a hole, 0, toreceive the screw D, which, after passing through said hole, engages ascrew-threaded opening, d, in the longitudinal bar of the part A.

It will be observed that the cross-bar B is (No model.)

arranged below the upper face of the body of the buckle, to providespace for the trace or other article held therein. This provides for thetrace lying nearly flat and avoids a cumbersome bunch or hump at thispoint.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that above described,except that the keeper, instead of being pivoted, as in the constructionshown in Fig. 1, is provided at one end with a heel, e, which engages anopening, f, in the ear 9 of the cross-bar. This in some respects ispreferable.

The screw D may be either a thumb screw, as shown in Fig. 1, or anordinary screw, as shown in Fig. 2, in which latter case the hole 0should be countersunk to receive the head of the screw.

The operation is apparent. The keeper is thrown back, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1, or removed, as shown in Fig. 2, when the trace is putin place, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the keeper thenturned down, as indicated, and the screw D screwed into the hole d andtightened, which firmly holds the trace in place without piercing thesame. \Vith the trace thus in place, if it should become necessary toshorten the same, it can be done by simply loosening the screw withoutdisengaging the parts, and when adjusted can be firmly held in suchposition by merely tightening the screw.

The buckle is simple and durable and cheap of manufacture, and in usefirmly holds the trace without the necessity of puncturing the same,thus lessening the liability to break.

What I claim as new is The improved buckle herein described, consistingof the body part A, the fixed translengthen or verse bar B, located nearthe center of the 5 IOO

